Date, chocolate and almond dessert cake
Over Easter my friend Sera was raving about a cake her mum makes and offered to share the recipe for this divine cake with me! So on arriving back to work after Easter and checking my emails, I was very excited to find she had generously sent the recipe to me!
This dessert cake is a twist on the traditional Kiwi Pavlova. The cake still has the same consistency of a traditional Pavlova, with the crispy, crunchy outer shell. But the addition of the chopped almonds, chocolate and dates means the inner is denser than the traditional light fluffy inner of a Pavlova. It is a great alternative to the traditional Pavlova that typically comes out over summer. Even though it to is served cold, it is a great treat as the temperature starts to drop, as during the cooking, the dates and chocolate melt through the cake, giving it a rich, sticky flavour and texture.
The first time I made this cake I was of course generous in my servings, but after the first few mouthfuls realised my eyes had been way too big for my stomach! A thin slice is ample to satisfy even the sweetest tooth, making this cake perfect for large groups.
Ingredients
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- 2 cups whole almonds
- 250g dark or milk chocolate
- 6 egg whites
- 2 cups caster sugar
- 1 cup dates, pitted and finely chopped
- 300ml cream
- ½ sliced almonds to garnish
Method
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- 1. Preheat the oven to 160°C on bake. Grease and line a 25cm spring form tin.
- 2. Either chop or process the almonds until they resemble coarse breadcrumbs. Then roughly chop the chocolate, again with a knife or in the food processor and reserve a few tablespoons for garnish.
- 3. Beat the egg whites until really stiff and then add the sugar a teaspoon at a time until the mixture is thick and glossy. Fold through the chopped almonds, chocolate and dates and then spoon the mixture into the prepared tin and bake for 1 ½ hours. Cool in the tin before place on a serving plate.
- 4. Whip cream and spread generously over the top and then sprinkle with the reserved chocolate and the sliced almonds.
I have been lucky enough to try this amazing cake. It probably the best new taste I have tried in such a long time. Highly recommend to anyone out there!
not sure if there’s a prob on my end, but the feed doesn’t get updated when you add new posts. it hasn’t been since you changed the look. I tried unsubscribing and subscribing again, but no dice.
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Emma
Before i start experimenting with the recipe, it will be greatly appreciated if you can clarify step no.3? I am a little unsure about
“Beat the egg whites until really stiff and then add the sugar a teaspoon at a time until the mixture is thick and glossy.”
Does that mean that I would beat the egg white until really stiff, then only beat in the sugar one teaspoon at a time? (until thick, stiff and glossy?)
Thanks
Just want to get it right when i do it 
Chyi
Hi Chyi,
If you are beating your egg whites in a cake-mixer (with the whisk attachment) you don’t actually have to add one tsp at a time, rather you can pour the sugar into the mixer (while it’s going) in a very slow, steady stream.
If you don’t have a cake-mixer and you are using a hand blender (with the whisk attachment), it’s probably best to either add the sugar tablespoon by tablespoon as you are whisking OR alternatively, get someone to slowly pour the sugar in while you whisk.
If you are whisking by hand (I am impressed!), again, you probably want to add the sugar tablespoon by tablespoon, beating in between for a few seconds or get someone to very slowly pour the sugar in while you whisk continually.
To start, you need to beat the egg whites on their own until they are stiff. Then you slowly add the sugar and beat until the mixture looks almost like marshmellow: it’s, thick and glossy and when you turn the bowl upside down and over your head it should stay in the bowl!
Let us know how you get on!
Sara